COMMUNITY FORUM

Vacant Land

My wife and I have found a piece of land we would like to build on. The land is in a development, with many other homes already built. After contacting the county we have received information and a map showing that our land is in a severe erosion hazard area. The building area is relatively flat, should we be concerned? Is this part and parcel of purchasing undeveloped land? Because the land is in a development, does this still matter? The land is also close to a Riparian Habitat.

I think I would want a very good understanding of what "severe erosion hazard" means. Is that a California mudslide or is it a Kansas dustbowl or is it a Mississippi flood - type of erosion? One is a lot safer than the other, and probably easier to deal with. You said the building area is pretty flat. What about the rest of the property?How difficult would it be to have grass or other ground cover to prevent erosion?I suggest you talk to several neighbors and see what their experiences are.IMPORTANT: Check with your insurance company to see about hazard insurance on that property.Hope these ideas help.

I agree with rlplqrstx (?) about knowing more details of the erosion hazard, but most erosion hazards can be accomodated with some extra construction systems. It is just another significant factor to consider in the building plans. Be advised that it probably will significantly increase the cost of building on the property to protect it from the effects of further erosion.

For instance, if it is a creek/river, then you can build a retaining wall out of concrete or what is know as a Gabian wall, which is essentially a rocks fitted inside a special chain-link mesh fencing in the shape of a rectangular wall, surrounded by a non-woven mesh fabric. The Gabian structure is less expensive and preferable because it allows water to drain through it without carrying eroded material. The wall will also have "dead man anchor" supports attached to it running into the foundation to keep it in place.